Exercise Impact on Affective/Cognitive Symptoms and QoL in Subjective Cognitive Decline: An RCT

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) affects many older adults, impacting quality of life.
• Early interventions are crucial for managing cognitive decline and associated symptoms.
• Previous research suggests exercise may benefit cognitive function, but evidence in SCD populations is evolving.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the preliminary efficacy of moderate-intensity cycling exercise versus a control group.
• To assess the impact of exercise on cognitive and affective symptoms (depression, anxiety) in older adults with SCD.
• To examine changes in quality of life (QoL) associated with exercise interventions in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 38 community-dwelling older adults with SCD.
• Participants were randomized to 12 weeks/36 sessions of moderate-intensity cycling or a control condition.
• Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare between-group changes, adjusting for baseline values.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant between-group differences were observed for cognitive symptoms, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, or quality of life (p-values ranged from .06 to .70).
• Effect sizes indicated a moderate to large benefit for the control group regarding anxiety symptoms (ηp²=0.11).
• The mean age of participants was 74.6 years, with 69% being female.

Conclusions:

• Moderate-intensity cycling exercise did not demonstrate significant preliminary efficacy in improving cognitive, affective, or quality of life outcomes in older adults with SCD.
• Factors such as attention, social interaction, and pandemic-related losses may have influenced the results.
• Future mixed-methods research with larger sample sizes, conducted outside of a pandemic, is recommended to further investigate exercise interventions for SCD.